Read the ramblings of a middle-aged American teacher, writer and soccer coach teaching English in Seoul, South Korea since August, 2008. Expect entries on education, lesson planning, politics, soccer, food, culture ... and travel

Friday, October 17, 2008

Persimmons. What the hell are they, and why can't you walk three steps in the city of Seoul without finding them on sale--or indeed, on my walk to school every morning, hanging in abundance from trees on practically every street?

Well, the answer to the last bit is easy: those are persimmon trees, so you would hardly expect pears or pomegranates to be hanging from them in abundance. But let's get down to brass tacks.

What is a persimmon? It is an ancient fruit, much cherished in medieval Europe for its curative powers when applied to digestive ailments, often called--or maybe confused with--the medlar. It is a pale yellow to orange fruit, ranging in size from a fist to a double fist, depending on variety. It grows on a deciduous tree with broad, stiff leaves, native to China, and the fruit is eaten raw or cooked, fresh or dried.

Oriental varieties are subdivided into two types: astringent (sour) and non-astringent. Astringent types should ripen fully--well, nearly rot--before being eaten, otherwise your mouth will pucker so severely your chin will touch your forehead. Non-astringent types can be eaten like apples, most commonly the fuyu, though they're still rather tart.

Like pears and apples, they appear in vast quantities at E-Mart (and street corner vendor carts) in gift boxes at the beginning of October. Mr Hwang explained to me that this year was a particularly good crop, but next year there won't be nearly so many. I went to the internet to try to find a basis for this prediction. I came up empty on that front, but I did find a blog report about Korea's first crop circle:

Back to persimmons, on the way to school this morning, Mr Hwang and I walked past a street corner hawker with a cart full of 'em, so I asked him about their popularity, and later in the paper today I saw a persimmon recipe. Well, to the extent you can call "cup up fruit, dip in melted chocolate, chill, and serve" a recipe.